In consecutive seasons, the Red Wolves have lost Hugh Freeze, Gus Malzahn, and now Harsin. Each time, the coach got a big raise and returned to a program where he had previously served as an assistant. And each time, he has bolted for those greener pastures as the team was preparing for the GoDaddy.com Bowl.

There are, presumably, a number of coaches with big-time dreams lining up to interview with the Red Wolves. Freeze parlayed a 10-2 regular season into the Ole Miss job. Malzahn went 9-3 before heading to Auburn, where he's now preparing to coach a BCS Title Game. Harsin's team was "only" 7-5, which is maybe why he couldn't land an SEC gig.

This was actually a profitable little transaction for the school. Harsin's contract was to pay him $700,000 annually for five years. His early buyout? $1.75 million. Harsin essentially paid Arkansas State a million dollars for the right to coach one season. Not a bad business model for a non-AQ powerhouse.

For coaches, the Red Wolves job is like an unpaid internship. It'll cost you money in the short term, but just think of it as an audition for the job you actually want.